United Church, Chapel on the Hill

Regularly Scheduled Services

Sunday Services

8 am Informal Worship Service
The informal 8 am Sunday morning worship service is conducted in the Fellowship Hall. You are welcome to "come as you are going" -- dressed for whatever else your day might bring. One highlight of this service: the congregation picks the songs.

9 am Adult Sunday School
The Adult Sunday School Class has been a spirited Sunday morning activity at the United Church for many years, meeting at 9:00 am Sundays in the Board Room off of the Fellowship Hall. The subjects for discussion have been known to vary widely, and are invariably thought-provoking and challenging. Long-time attendees are supportive and dedicated to this uplifting hour and invite newcomers to join them.

10 am Chapel Worship Service
The 10 am Sunday morning worship service is conducted in the Chapel. Children join their parents in the Chapel for the start of the service and are dismissed for Sunday School at 10:15 following a short Childrens' Sermon

10:15 am Childrens' Sunday School
The Children's Sunday School is held during the 10 am worship service. The children join their parents in the Chapel for the first few minutes of the service and are dismissed for Sunday School at about 10:15 following a short Childrens' Sermon. Classes are available for preschoolers (age 3 and up) and all grade levels and meet in the Education Building adjacent to the Chapel. A nursery is available starting at 10 am (downstairs in the Education Building) for anyone too young to participate in the Chapel Service or Sunday School.

11:00 am Coffee Hour
After the Chapel Service, all attendees are invited to gather in the fellowship hall for coffee, snacks, and fellowship. This is also a good time for children to enjoy snacks and play together in the fellowhip hall or on our playground located just outside the fellowhip hall.

Sew for Hope

On the second Monday of each month, a group of volunteers from the Two Circles of the United Church Women meet in the Fellowship Hall to make "Hats With Hugs", and other items that are given to people in need. See the Chapel Chimes, or call the church office, for the most accurate meeting times.

The Sew for Hope group makes comfort items for cancer patients. The items are donated to organizations such as “Reach for Recovery” of the American Cancer Society, Thompson Cancer Survival Center, The Oncology Center, The Hospitality House, and the Caris Health Center. They are also given to friends and family of the Church or anyone in need of these items. Among the items made and distributed are hats, pillows, scarves, drain pouches, and comfort bunnies. The drain pouches hold individual's medical drain bag in a way that is more comfortable.

Sew for Hope has two displays at the Oak Ridge Public Library – left is a free-standing case in the main library and the second is a wall display by the Children’s Library.

Yoga

Every Monday From 6pm - 7pm, there is a Yoga class open to the public.

Wednesday Evening Programs

6:15pm Wednesday Night on the Hill
As you might guess, we meet each Wednesday night (with few exceptions) where we eat a potluck meal at 6:15 PM or one prepared by dedicated volunteers. For the most part, our activity is focused on good food and conversation, but occasionally we have a short program, either secular or spiritual in content, sometimes both. We have been known to celebrate special events and holidays either by completely ignoring them or by having special food, decorations, and appropriate entertainment.

The food is always delicious, the conversation always stimulating, and the fellowship always the best. Each week Wednesday Nighters enjoy all of that and look forward to enlarging our circle. Everyone is welcome, so please sign up in the Fellowship Hall (or call the Church office) and come join us.

Youth Group Please call the curch office to find out about meetings where we have fun, socialize,make plans, and have meaningful discussions.Katie Dongarra is our youth leader.

Choir Practice
The United Church Choir generally practices every Wednesday at 6:50pm. In addition to singing with piano and organ, the United Church also has a handbell program. Matthew Thomas Bak is our Choir director. Please feel free to catch him any Sunday morning to inquire about the Choir.

Church Board Meeting

United Church Board members discuss and plan the trials and tribulations of running a well oiled machine every third Wednesday of the month.

New Horizons Book Club

The New Horizons Book Club meets every 4th Wednesday at 6:45 pm, in the Memorial Room, to discuss various books read by the group.

Reading List

The New Horizons Book Club was established in January 1998. The following list includes the books and movies discussed by the group in order of study.

Celestine Prophesy -James Redfield

Embraced by the Light -Betty J. Eadie

Mutant Message Down Under -Margo Morgan

Ishmael - Daniel Quinn

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter -Sue Monk Kidd

Many Lives, Many Masters -Brian Weiss, M.D.

Women’s Reality -Anne Wilson Schaef

Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in the Her Own Words -Peace Pilgrim

The Healing of America -Marianne Willliamson

Into the Forest -Jean Hegland

Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine - Larry Dossey, M.D.

Messages from the Masters- Brian Weiss, M.D.

Anatomy of the Spirit - Caroline Myss, Ph.d

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith -Anne Lamott

Circle of Simplicity -Cecile Andrews

Tuedays with Morrie - Mitch Albon

The Loop -Nicholas Evans

A Passion for the Possible -Jean Houston

Conversations with God Part 1 - Neale Donald Walsch

Poisonwood Bible -Barbara Kingsolver

The Red Tent - Anita Daimant

My Grandfather’s Blessings -Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.

A Reason for Hope - Jane Goodall

The Wolf, the Woman, the Wilderness, a True Story of Returning Home - Teresa tsimmu Martino

Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time - Marcus J. Borg

You Can Heal Your Life - Louise L. Hay

The Celestine Prophesy - James Redfield (Revisited)

The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Legacy of Luna - Julia Butterfly Hill

The Lord of the Rings-Part 1 The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R.Tolkien

Essential Spirituality - Roger Walsh, M.D. PH.D

The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd

Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mith Albon

Nickel and Dimed - Barbara Ehrenreich

Practicing the Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle

The DaVinci Code - Dan Brown

Life of Pi - Yanne Martel

Pay It Forward - Catherine Ryan Hyde

Hannah’s Gift; Lesson from a Life Fully Lived - Maria Housden

Medicine for the Earth, Medicine for the People - Sandra Irgernman

Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

Reading Lolita in Tehran - Azar Nafisi

The Dance - Oriah Mountain Dreamer

The Mermaid Chair - Sue Monk Kidd

The Giver - Lois Lowery

The Sins of the Scripture: Exposing the Bible’s Text of Hate to Reveal the God of Love - Bishop Shelby Sponge

What the Bleep (Movie)

Gilead - Marilynne Robinson

Whale Rider (Movie)

Siddhartha - Herman Hesse

Gift from the Sea - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Soul on Fire - Peter Calhoun

Our Endangered Values America’s Moral Crisis - Jimmy Carter

Handmaiden’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

Trick Training Young Horses - Allen Pogue (movie)

The Painted Drum - Louise Erdrich

The Celestine Prophesy -(movie)

Men's Group

The Men's Group meets to explore and discuss various directions in the present day church, particularly the relevance of the spiritual aspects of life and living. The group meets monthly on the first Thursday at 6:00 pm for a gourmet meal prepared in the Fellowship Hall, often followed with a program.